Dirty England

More than 1,300 sites across England are breaching annual limits for harmful pollutant nitrogen dioxide, analysis by Friends of the Earth suggests. Friends of the Earth said 1,360 monitoring sites across the country exceeded the annual average air quality target of 40 micrograms per cubic metre of air for nitrogen dioxide in 2018, the most recent year for which data is available.

In some spots, the annual average was more than double the level set to protect health from long-term exposure to pollution, the analysis shows. Nitrogen dioxide is a pollutant which mostly comes from traffic fumes and, along with other pollution such as particulate matter, is linked to health issues such as lung and respiratory diseases and early deaths.

Simon Bowens, clean air campaigner at Friends of the Earth, said failing to fix air pollution costs lives and showed a failure to address the climate crisis.

The 10 sites with the highest annual average nitrogen dioxide levels according to the Friends of the Earth analysis are:

- Chideock Hill, West Dorset 97.7

- Station Taxi Rank, Sheffield 91.7

- North Street Clock Tower, Brighton 90.8

- Neville Street Tunnel, Leeds 88

- Strand, City of Westminster 88

- Walbrook Wharf, City of London 87

- Hickleton opp Fir Tree Close, Doncaster 86

- Marylebone Road, City of Westminster 85

- Euston Road, London Borough of Camden 82.3

- Hickleton, John O’Gaunts, Doncaster 82